USDOT grant program awarded over $7.6 million to various states for transportation projects.
When there’s an obstacle on the highway, the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) will come remove it – but how? Driving obstacles can be dangerous for drivers, but it’s especially dangerous for highway workers who may need to walk in the middle of traffic to remove the obstacles. A Federal grant has made it possible for ARDOT to purchase as many as 25 lane blades to help with this issue.
READ MORE AND SEE VIDEO🎬 BELOW
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) recently awarded a grant for $1 million to ARDOT as a result of an application to purchase something called Lane Blade. These are large devices that attach to the front of a vehicle, implementing a scoop and camera. The driver has a view screen inside the vehicle, along with controls to lower the scoop and remove an obstacle.
ARDOT already has purchased 18 Lane Blades. This grant will allow the purchase of 20-25 more, so ARDOT can expand its capabilities across every district in the state.
FY23 Accelerated Innovation Deployment Demonstration Program Awards
Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) received $1,000,000 – ADOT will receive $1 million for the statewide implementation of a data portal to analyze transportation systems and new innovative performance measures related to asset degradation, resiliency and sustainability, and pedestrian and bicycle volume. This project will provide agencies statewide with the tools to help their policymakers make data-driven, well informed, decisions about transportation funding. Through the implementation of this project, every agency in the state will be able to quickly complete important analyses and dramatically shift their capabilities and sophistication.
Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) received $1,000,000 – ARDOT will receive $1 million to purchase truck-mounted debris removal devices that improve the safety of maintenance crews and the traveling public during debris removal on highways and roads. The grant will provide enough devices to crews reducing response times to traffic incidents, reducing delays caused by roadway blockages, and ultimately expanding service beyond freeways to other high-volume routes.
Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) received $1,000,000 – INDOT will receive $1 million to advance work zone safety and combat high speeds by deploying a worksite speed control system to monitor up to four concurrently active construction work zones. The revenues generated from enforcement activity will be directed to the State’s General Fund and solely focused on improving safety outcomes in work zones.
Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) received $1,000,000 – MassDOT Aeronautics Division will receive $1 million to further develop and expand the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to translate data into actionable information that will optimize the management and operations of the MassDOT Highway Division. MassDOT Aeronautics’ UAS-based solutions provide services such as assessing the condition of critical infrastructure with a unique level of precision, efficiency, and safety. This project is a critical step toward a future where UAS technology plays a central role in maintaining and improving the nation’s transportation infrastructure.
Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) received $815,404 – MDOT will receive $815,000 to replace the Lafayette Bridge, a moveable bridge and important transportation link in the Michigan Bay Region nearing the end of its service life. The grant will support the first use in Michigan of an ‘Exodermic’ bridge deck, an efficient and economical alternative to traditional bridge decks, that increases structural efficiency while reducing project costs and environmental impacts.
Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) / St. Clair County Road Commission (SCCRC) received $704,700 – The MDOT and the SCCRC will receive $704,700 to reconstruct the severely deteriorated bridge on Rattle Run Road over the Sheldon Drain in St. Clair Township. The reconstruction will use superior long lasting concrete materials to provide a longer lasting bridge that requires minimal maintenance and will accelerate project completion.
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) received $759,600 – PennDOT will receive $760,000 to integrate “cleaned” Computer Aided Dispatch data feeds from partners, such as Pennsylvania State Police and 911 Centers, into PennDOT’s Traffic Management Center (TMC) Operations software. The cleaned feeds would remove any personally identifiable information, and anything related to potential criminal investigation, and provide information directly to the TMCs. By concurrently providing incident information to the TMCs, the project will improve intra-agency coordination, enhance incident management, and reduce incident response time.
West Virginia Department of Transportation – Division of Highways (WVDOT) received $985,320 – The WVDOT will receive $985,000 to use Orthotropic Steel Deck (OSD) technology to replace and restore the Purgitsville Bridge – a heavily used bridge in a rural portion of Hampshire County that has significant deficiencies requiring bridge deck replacement. Using OSD technology for this replacement offers an efficient and cost-effective solution that extends the bridge service life, improves safety and traffic mobility during construction.
Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) received $377,960 – The WYDOT will receive $378,000 to install a radar-based avalanche detection system for US 191/189, a vital transportation route for residents and visitors in Jackson, Wyoming. The first US installation of this radar detection This system will greatly improve WYDOT’s avalanche warning accuracy, mitigation measures, and decision-making process to better protect the traveling public, WYDOT maintenance personnel, and the transportation system.
“Our goal is to find safer methods of debris removal that protect both our employees and the public, Steve Frisbee, ARDOT Assistant Chief Engineer for Maintenance.
“Safety is our number one priority at ARDOT; it’s at the foundation of everything we do,” said ARDOT Director Lorie Tudor. “I’m proud ARDOT’s innovation in this area was recognized by the U.S. Department of Transportation, and I’m proud that we will now be a leading state in debris removal using Lane Blades.”